Small electron gun

ABSTRACT

To provide a small electron gun capable of keeping a high vacuum pressure used for an electron microscope and an electron-beam drawing apparatus. An electron gun constituted by a nonevaporative getter pump, a heater, a filament, and an electron-source positioning mechanism is provided with an opening for rough exhausting and its automatically opening/closing valve, and means for ionizing and decomposing an inert gas or a compound gas for the nonevaporative getter pump. It is possible to keep a high vacuum pressure of 10 −10  Torr without requiring an ion pump by using a small electron gun having a height and a width of approximately 15 cm while emitting electrons from the electron gun.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.10/873,358 filed Jun. 23, 2004. This application claims priority to U.S.application Ser. No. 10/873,358 filed Jun. 23, 2004, which claimspriority to Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2003-317703 and 2004-111682filed on Sep. 10, 2003, and Apr. 6, 2004, respectively, all of which isincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an electron gun of an electronmicroscope or electronic drawing apparatus, particularly to downsizingof an electron gun.

2. Discussion of Background

A conventional scanning electron microscope (SEM) or electron-beamdrawing apparatus (EB) accelerates an electron beam emitted from anelectron gun constituted by a field-emission or thermal-field-emissionelectron source, forms the electron beam into a thin electron beam by anelectron lens, forms the thin electron beam into a primary electronbeam, thereby scans the surface of a sample with the primary electronbeam by an electronic deflector to obtain an image by detecting obtainedsecondary electrons or reflected electrons when the SEM is used or todraw a previously entered pattern on a resist film applied onto thesample when the EB is used. The material of the electron source usestungsten when a general-purpose SEM is used. Moreover, an electronsource for semiconductor may use a material obtained by adding zirconiumto tungsten. Furthermore, LaB₆ may be used for the EB.

To emit a preferable electron beam from the above electron source for along time, it is necessary to keep the circumference of an electronsource at a high vacuum pressure (10⁻⁹ to 10⁻¹⁰ Torr). Therefore, amethod has been used so far in which the circumference of an electrongun 16 is forcibly exhausted by an ion pump 13, as shown in FIG. 2. Theion pump 13 has an advantage in that it is possible to keep a pressureof 10⁻¹⁰ Torr or lower only by current-carrying because the pump has nomovable part. However, because the ion pump 13 has a size of tens ofcentimeters square or more and generates a magnetic field, the pump 13requires a considerable volume because a magnetic shield 15 is necessaryfor the electron gun side.

Paragraph 0033 of JP-A No. 149850/2000 discloses a charged particle beamapparatus having a built-in getter ion pump in a lens tube as means fordownsizing an electronic optical system. Moreover, a charged particlebeam apparatus having a built-in nonevaporative getter pump in anelectron gun chamber is disclosed in FIG. 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,362;Paragraph 0033 of JP-A No. 149850/2000; and FIG. 2 of JP-A No.111745/1994. The getter pump mentioned above means a vacuum pump foractivating and evaporizing a getter by heating it and adsorbingimpurities into the getter. Moreover, the nonevaporative getter pumpdenotes a vacuum pump constituted by using an alloy for adsorbing gas byonly heating a getter without evaporizing it. From the viewpoint ofdownsizing, it is more preferable to use the nonevaporative getter pump.

Furthermore, Paragraph 0014 of JP-A No. 294182/2000 discloses anelectron gun in which an axis adjustment screw for adjusting the axis ofan electron source is installed on the circumference of a flange.Further, JP-A No. 188294/1994 discloses a charged particle apparatushaving a differential exhausting structure for keeping the circumferenceof an electron source at an ultrahigh vacuum pressure in its FIG. 9.Further, JP-A No. 325912/2001 discloses a technique for improving theexhausting efficiency of a vacuum chamber by making a hydrocarbon-basedgas remaining in a sample chamber react with active oxygen introducedinto the sample chamber and thereby decomposing the gas and activeoxygen into water and carbon dioxide, which are easily exhausted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has been recognized that what is needed is a high vacuum pressure ofbetween about 10⁻⁹ to 10⁻¹⁰ Torr when using a field-emission electrongun. Accordingly, a dedicated ion pump 12 is provided to exhaust anelectron-gun column 10, as shown in FIG. 1.

However, with conventional methods, it is difficult to downsize an ionpump because the pump has a large size and a magnetic field leaks and itis necessary to set the ion pump by keeping a certain distance from anelectron gun as shown in FIG. 2.

Moreover, a method may be used in which the housing of an ion pump isformed like a doughnut so as to be coaxial with an electron-gun column.However, because the diameter of the ion pump housing is at leastapproximately tens of centimeters, there is a limit in downsizing theion pump.

By using a nonevaporative getter pump, it may be possible totheoretically downsize an electronic optical system. However, when usingthe nonevaporative getter pump, it is difficult to exhaust a rare gassuch as helium or argon and a chemically stable gas such as methane, itis impossible to substantially keep a high vacuum pressure, and thus thepump is not practically used yet. It is necessary that gas has a micropotential for absorption. However, when using a chemically stable gassuch as a rare gas or fluorocarbon gas, it is difficult to exhaust thegas because it is completely equilibrium.

Moreover, when operating an electron source, some of dischargedelectrons hit components of an electron gun and thereby, miscellaneousgases are discharged. Thus, a vacuum pressure is deteriorated andresultantly, a problem occurs that the service life of the electron gunis shortened. Particularly, when the volume of an electron gun isdecreased by downsizing the gun, a problem occurs that the totalpressure of the above rare gas rises and the trend that a vacuumpressure is deteriorated becomes remarkable even if the partial pressureof the gas is low.

To address the problems of conventional methods, it is an object of thepresent invention to provide an electron gun which is able to keep ahigh vacuum pressure even while emitting an electron beam and smallerthan a conventional one. It is another object of the present inventionto provide an electron microscope or an electron-beam drawing apparatuson which the small electron gun is mounted.

The present invention attains the above objects using an electronsource, a vacuum vessel for holding the electron source, a getter pumpset in the vacuum vessel, an opening for exhausting the vacuum vessel,and decomposing device for decomposing a gas produced while the electronsource operates.

By using the present invention, it is possible to obtain an electronmicroscope or an electron-beam drawing apparatus capable of keeping ahigh vacuum pressure of approximately 10⁻¹⁰ Torr without using an ionpump.

The invention encompasses other embodiments of a system, an apparatus,and a method, which are configured as set forth above and with otherfeatures and alternatives.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be readily understood by the followingdetailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Tofacilitate this description, like reference numerals designate likestructural elements.

FIG. 1 explains an electron gun, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 explains a configuration of a prior art electron gun;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a scanning electron microscope, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an electron-beam drawing apparatus, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is another configuration of an electron gun, in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6A is a top view of an opening plate using an automaticallyopening/closing valve, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view for explaining a structure of anautomatically opening/closing valve, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 7A is a theoretical diagram for explaining an electron-sourcepositioning mechanism, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 7B is a structure in which an electron-source positioning mechanismis applied to an electron gun, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 8A shows another configuration of an automatically opening/closingvalve, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8B shows still another configuration of an automaticallyopening/closing valve, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 8C shows still another configuration of an automaticallyopening/closing valve, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 8D shows still another configuration of an automaticallyopening/closing valve, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

An invention for ***** is disclosed. Numerous specific details are setforth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the presentinvention. It will be understood, however, to one skilled in the art,that the present invention may be practiced with other specific details.

First Embodiment

FIG. 1 shows a configuration of an electron gun of this embodiment. Anelectron source uses a thermal-field-emission electron gun (TFE) 1. Theelectron source 1 is set to the flange of an ICF 70 [WHAT IS “ICF70”->It's a standard of flange used in a vacuum industry] and connectedwith an introduction terminal 12 to an electrode (suppressor, drawer, orchip) (not shown). The electron source 1 is inserted into and fixed toan electron-gun column 10.

The inside diameter of this column is approximately 37 mm. The column 10has a sheeted nonevaporative getter pump 2 along the inside diameter.The nonevaporative getter pump 2 is activated when overheated to take inair. Therefore, a first heater 4 is set to the outside of theelectron-gun column 10. This embodiment uses the heater 4 by winding asheath heater on the electron-gun column 10. Note that a nonevaporativegetter-pump heating device may be set in the vacuum vessel, in otherwords, the electron-gun column 10. A thermocouple 8 is set to a sideface of the electron-gun column 10 to monitor a heating temperature ofthe nonevaporative getter pump 2. This embodiment uses a nonevaporativegetter pump to be activated at 400° C. for 10 min.

A pump section 101 provided with an ionizing function is connected to apart of the housing of the electron-gun column 10. A filament 6 fordecomposing miscellaneous gases produced while an electron gun emits anelectron beam is set in the pump section 101 provided with the ionizingfunction. The pump section 101 provided with the ionizing function maybe set to the housing of the electron-gun column 10 as a specialcomponent or as a part of the housing of the electron-gun column 10. Aninternal configuration of the pump section 101 provided with theionizing function will be described later.

Operations of components of an electron gun are described below. Whenthe electron source 1 emits electrons, some emitted electrons hitcomponents to discharge gas containing hydrocarbon. When the volume ofan electron-gun column is small and forcible exhausting is not performedby an ion pump, like the case of this embodiment, hydrocarbon gas is notexhausted by the nonevaporative getter pump 2. Therefore, there is aproblem that the vacuum pressure in an electron gun is deteriorated toaffect the electron source 1.

Accordingly, the ionizing-function-provided pump section 101 providedwith the filament 6 made of tungsten is set to a side face of theelectron-gun column 10. The filament 6 is used to thermally ionize anddecompose the hydrocarbon (mainly, methane) in the electron-gun column10 into carbon and hydrogen. That is, by adding a device for thermallyionizing and decomposing the hydrocarbon which cannot be exhausted by anonevaporative getter pump to an electron gun, it is possible to exhaustthe hydrocarbon. The ionizing-function-provided pump section 101 is setto the housing of the electron-gun column 10 by forming an opening onthe housing. A second nonevaporative getter pump is set to the innerwall surface of the ionizing-function-provided pump section 101 toadsorb ionized and decomposed hydrocarbon gas. Thus, by setting thesecond nonevaporative getter pump nearby the filament, the exhaustingefficiency is further improved. A second heater 5 is set to the outsideof the housing of the ionizing-function-provided pump section 101 inorder to overheat the second nonevaporative getter pump. To prevent anelectron gun from overheating, it is preferable to turn off the firstheater for heating the housing of an electron-gun column while anelectron gun emits an electron beam. Therefore, by setting the secondheater set to the ionizing-function-provided pump section 101 separatelyfrom the first heater, it is possible to heat the second nonevaporativegetter pump even while an electron gun emits an electron beam. That is,it is possible to exhaust only the circumference of a hydrocarbon-gasproducing source.

Because an opening 7 is formed below the electron gun 1, emittedelectrons pass through the opening 7 and are led to an electronicoptical system set in a column 9 for the electronic optical system.Because the vacuum pressure in an electronic optical system column isgenerally lower than the vacuum pressure in an electron-gun column, theelectronic optical system column and electron-gun column constitute adifferential exhausting structure at both sides of the opening 7.Consequently, the above gas containing hydrocarbon may also enter theelectronic optical system column through the opening 7. Therefore, animportant function of the present invention for thermally ionizinghydrocarbon gas is to use a nonevaporative getter pump.

The orbit of an electron emitted from the electron source 1 may beinfluenced depending on an operation of the filament 6. Therefore, at aposition below the electron emission position of the electron source 6in the housing of the electron-gun column 10, an electron emitted fromthe electron source may be influenced by an operation of the filament 6.Thus, preferably a position to which the filament 6 orionizing-function-provided pump section 101 is set or the position of anopening where the electron-gun column 10 is connected with theionizing-function-provided pump section 101 is present at an upperportion of the electron-beam generating position of the electron source1 (e.g., electron-beam takeout electrode).

A procedure for operating the electron gun of this embodiment is nowdescribed. First, to exhaust a sample chamber, rough exhausting isstarted from the atmospheric pressure by driving a vacuum pump (notshown). Then, baking is performed by heating the first heater 4 andsecond heater 5. At the initial stage of baking, a temperature is keptat approximately 200° C. to mainly bake water and hydrocarbon gas in ahousing. By performing baking for 6 to 12 hr, the gas released from theinner-wall surface decreases up to a pressure which does not matter.Then, the nonevaporative getter pumps 2 and 3 are activated byincreasing the power to be applied to the first and second heaters tobring a target temperature to 400 to 500° C. By keeping the temperaturefor approximately 10 to 20 minutes after temperature rise, the pumps 2and 3 are sufficiently activated.

Exhausting and baking are performed by building up the electron gun toachieve a vacuum pressure of 10⁻¹⁰ Torr. Moreover, by applying 2 kV tothe electron gun to emit electrons, a vacuum pressure of 10⁻¹⁰ Torr maybe kept. Because a high vacuum pressure can be kept, a cold-cathodeelectron source (CFE) or a Schottky electron source may be used insteadof the thermal-field-emission electron source used in this embodiment.It is also possible to greatly decrease rough dimensions of the wholeelectron gun. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, dimensions of the wholeelectron gun is reduced in size as small as a width of approximately 15cm and a height of approximately 15 cm, compared to a conventionalconfiguration.

To exhaust the electron-gun column 10 from the atmospheric pressure to ahigh vacuum pressure, a rough exhausting port may be set to theelectron-gun column 10 when exhausting from the opening y isinsufficient.

Second Embodiment

This embodiment describes the electron gun, described in the firstembodiment, as applied to a scanning electron microscope.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic configuration of the scanning electronmicroscope of this embodiment. From the viewpoint of being advantageousfor downsizing, every electronic optical system used in this embodimentuses a small electronic optical system constituted by an electrostaticlens. In FIG. 3, an electron beam 18 field-emitted from a field-emissionelectron gun 17 is thinly converged by electric fields formed betweenelectrodes of an electrostatic lens set below the electron gun 17 andapplied onto a sample 25. The electrostatic lens comprises a third lenselectrode 19, a second lens electrode 20, and a first lens electrode 21.

At the same time, the electron beam 18 is deflected in the internalspace of the second lens electrode 20 by a deflector 24 totwo-dimensionally scan the surface of the sample 25. Moreover, to alignthe optical axis of the electron beam 18 with that of the electrostaticlens, the optical axis of the electron beam 18 can be shifted by analignment coil 23.

Furthermore, to perform astigmatism correction of the electron beam 18,a stigma coil 22 is set. A secondary electron 33 generated from thesample 25 reaches a secondary-electron detector 26 and is detected. Bysupplying a detection signal of the electron 33 to image forming device27, a two-dimensional secondary electron image on the surface of thesample 25 can be obtained.

This embodiment aims at the observation at a low acceleration voltagecapable of decreasing the electrification or damage of the surface of asample due to irradiation with an electron beam, so as to be suitablefor surface observation of a semiconductor.

Therefore, the acceleration voltage Va of the electron beam 18 is set to3 kV or lower (mainly, approximately 1 kV).

For the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, an electronic optical system isconstituted by only an electrostatic lens. Therefore, an electro opticlens tube has a very small size such as an outside diameter of 34 mm anda height of 150 mm. Moreover, this embodiment realizes a high resolution(6 nm at an acceleration voltage of 1 kV). Furthermore, the electronicoptical system is inserted into a vacuum vessel different from thevacuum vessel of the electron gun 17, both of which are located at bothsides of an opening plate 7. The former vacuum vessel is kept in avacuum state by a turbo-molecular pump. The opening plate 7 has anopening for leading an electron beam to the outside of the electron gun.

Advantageously, it is possible to realize a small high-resolutionscanning electron microscope previously unheard.

Third Embodiment

This embodiment describes the electron gun, described in the firstembodiment, as applied to an electron-beam drawing apparatus. To providea pattern drawing function for the small scanning electron microscopedescribed in the second embodiment, the microscope may be used as anelectron-beam drawing apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an electron-beam drawing apparatus ofthe third embodiment. It is possible to draw a pattern having aresolution of 6 nm on a resist film applied onto a sample 31 bysequentially reading data from a pattern record control device 30,previously storing the data for the layout of a pattern and the like,and deflecting an electron beam 18 by a deflector 24 so as to form thepattern. Moreover, it is possible to detect the position of a pattern tobe drawn by detecting a secondary electron beam 33 generated from aregion nearby a positioning mark, not shown, by a secondary electrondetector 26.

Because this embodiment uses an acceleration voltage at a lowacceleration of approximately 1 kv, it is impossible to draw a patternon a thick-film resist (1 μm or more). Therefore, this embodiment issuitable for a process for forming a pattern on the surface of a thinfilm resist (0.3 μm or less). As features, because the influence of aproximity effect can be lowered, it is possible to decrease the time forcorrection, greatly decrease an apparatus in size, and comparativelyeasily obtain high-resolution drawing.

Fourth Embodiment

This embodiment describes (1) a configuration of an electron gun havinga positioning mechanism for optical axis alignment of an electron sourceand (2) an automatic change mechanism for rough exhausting and mainexhausting when exhausting an electron-gun column.

When using an electron-beam-applied or charged-particle-beam-appliedapparatus, it is obviously necessary to accurately perform optical axisalignment of an electron beam. However, when downsizing an electron gunor an apparatus mounting the electron gun, it is difficult to mountcomplex positioning device or optical-axis alignment device on anapparatus because downsizing is restricted.

Moreover, for exhausting of an apparatus, it is preferable to minimizethe number of exhausting apparatuses used for the wholecharged-particle-beam apparatus in order to decrease an apparatus insize. Accordingly, it is preferable to communize an exhausting devicefor an electronic optical system set below an electron gun and measuringoptical system on which various detectors are arranged. Thus, it is anobject of this embodiment to provide an electron gun having apositioning mechanism for a small electron source having a simpleconfiguration and capable of accurately performing optical axisalignment of the electron gun. It is another object of this embodimentto provide and an automatic rough-exhausting and main-exhausting changemechanism capable of communizing rough exhausting device between anelectron-gun column and an electronic-optical system column.

FIG. 5 shows a configuration of the electron gun 17 of this embodiment.Descriptions of portions common to those of the electron gun having theconfiguration shown in FIG. 1 such as the electron source 1 andionizing-function-provided pump section 101 are omitted. The electrongun of this embodiment is different from the electron gun of the firstembodiment in that the following are used: a positioning mechanismincluding a conflat flange 39 for fixing an electron source 1 to anelectron-gun column 10, bellows 40, or a knob 39 having an adjustingscrew at its front end and a differential exhausting section 200 havingan automatically opening/closing valve 102 for rough exhausting. Toactually constitute a charged-particle-beam apparatus, the electron gun17 is combined with a column 9 and electronic optical system. Theelectronic-optical-system column 9 has an electronic-optical-system lenstube 36 storing a deflector and an objective and a sample table 35. Thecolumn 9 for an electronic optical system connects with a vacuum pump34. Though not separately shown in FIG. 5, the vacuum pump 34 includes arough-exhausting vacuum pump and a main-exhausting vacuum pump.

First, the configuration of a positioning mechanism of and operations ofan electron gun are described below. To make an electron beam emittedfrom the electron source 1 efficiently pass through an opening, it isnecessary to adjust the position of the electron source 1. Because theopening formed at the center of an opening plate 7 has a diameter ofapproximately 0.5 mm, it is necessary to realize a movement stroke ofapproximately 1 mm in a plane vertical to the optical axis. The electronsource 1 is fixed to the conflat flange 39 having a diameter of 70 mmand various types of electric wires are connected through an electrode12 in which the chip (not shown) and electrode (not shown) of theelectron source 1 are formed in feed-through. In this case, thefeed-through denotes an introducing section formed on a vacuum vessel tolead various types of electric wires into the vacuum vessel. Thesestructures are connected to the electron-gun column 10 through thebellows 40. The electron source 1 is constituted so as to be able tomove to the electron-gun column 10 by a distance equivalent to thedeformation value of the bellows 40. A relative position between both isadjusted so that an electron beam transmitted to theelectronic-optical-system column 9 is maximized while turning anelectron-source positioning knob 38. FIG. 5 shows only oneelectron-source positioning knob. Actually, however, two knobs arepaired facing each other. The knobs are provided in directionsorthogonal to each other at the total of four places one pair by onepair. When the position of the electron source 1 is decided, it ispossible to prevent a displacement by completely fastening and lockingfaced knobs.

The configuration and operations of the differential exhausting section200 are described below. To exhaust the electron-gun column 11 from theatmospheric pressure up to a high vacuum pressure, exhausting from theopening 7 is insufficient. Therefore, because a port for roughexhausting has been set to the electron-gun column 10 so far, theexternal size has been increased. For the electron gun of the firstembodiment, however, the opening formed on the opening plate 7 serves asa rough-exhausting port. Therefore, rough-exhausting device can beshared between the electron gun 17 and the electronic-optical-systemcolumn 9. Accordingly, it is possible to downsize an apparatus. However,the electron gun of the first embodiment has a problem that the diameterof a hole formed on the opening plate 7 is too small and the conductancefor rough exhausting is too small. However, it is impossible to greatlyincrease the size of an opening formed on the opening plate 7. Becausethe vacuum pressure in the electronic-optical-system column 9 is lowerthan that in the electron-gun column 10, when extremely increasing thehole diameter on the opening plate 7, the gas remaining in theelectronic-optical-system column 9 reversely flows into the electron-guncolumn 10. Consequently, it may be difficult to keep a high vacuumpressure.

Accordingly, for the electron gun of this embodiment, a rough-exhaustingopening is formed on the opening plate 7 separately from anelectron-beam-passing opening. Moreover, the automaticallyopening/closing valve 102 is set to the rough-exhausting opening.

The configuration and operations of the automatically opening/closingvalve 102 for rough exhausting are described below in detail byreferring to FIGS. 6A and 6B.

FIG. 6A shows a top view of the opening plate 7 and FIG. 6B shows asectional view of the opening plate 7 when cutting the position A-A′ inFIG. 6A along the alternate long and short dash line shown in FIG. 6A.For the differential exhausting section 200 in FIG. 5, only oneautomatically opening/closing valve 102 is shown for one opening plate7. Actually, however, two valves are added to one opening plate 7. Thehatching at the left side in FIG. 6B denotes the inner wall surface ofthe differential exhausting section 200 (or electron-gun column 10).Symbol 46 denotes a fixing plate for fixing the opening plate 7 and amovable arm 45 to the inner wall surface. A first opening 42 throughwhich an electron beam passes is formed at the center of the openingplate 7. A second opening 43 is formed separately from the first opening42. Setting the hole diameter to a value larger than that of the opening43 is effective because the conductance for rough exhausting increases.A lid 44 corresponds to the opening 43. The lid 44 is connected with theinner wall surface by an autonomously movable arm 45, which verticallymoves on the basis of the inner wall surface. This embodiment uses abimetal to be thermally deformed as the material of the arm 45. In thisembodiment, the autonomously movable arm 45 is constituted by a bimetalto be thermally deformed.

However, it is also possible to obtain the same advantage by using ashape memory alloy. A bimetal generally uses a magnetic material such asa FeNi—NiFeCr alloy. When using a magnetic material for a movable arm,the orbit of an electron beam passing through the first opening 42 isbent. Therefore, it is preferable to use a bimetal made of anon-magnetic material for a movable arm. When considering the operationtemperature of a nonevaporative getter, it is confirmed throughexperiments that preferably a bimetal has a high-temperature resistance.Particularly, it is preferable to use a bimetal obtained by combining astainless alloy with a small thermal expansion metal such as tungsten.

To keep the air tightness of the electron-gun column 10, it is necessarythat the lid 44 closely adheres to the opening plate 7 when mainexhausting is performed. When considering the adhesiveness of the lid44, preferably the lid 44 plastically deforms when it adheres to theopening plate. Therefore, the elastic modulus of a material constitutingthe lid 44 is preferably smaller than that of a material constitutingthe opening plate 7. Moreover, dirt may attach to the opening plate 7because an electron beam passes through the central opening 42.Furthermore, the movable arm 45 and lid 44 may be deteriorated with timeafter repeating adhesion and opening operation with the opening plate 7.Accordingly, the opening plate 7, movable arm 45, and lid 44 must easilybe replaced.

In this embodiment, the opening plate 7 and movable arm 45 arerespectively fixed to the inner wall surface by a fixing screw 202.Accordingly, separately using a fixing device to fix the opening plate7, lid 44, and movable arm 45 to the inner wall surface provides anelectron gun in which the opening plate 7, movable arm 45, and lid 44can easily be replaced. In FIG. 6B, because the movable arm 45 andopening plate 7 use the same fixing device, it is impossible toindependently replace the movable arm and opening plate. However, usingtwo fixing screws and thereby separately fixing the movable arm andopening plate to the inner wall surface realizes an electron gun inwhich the opening plate 7 and movable arm 45 can independently bereplaced. Thus, it is possible to provide an electron gun that can bemore easily maintained.

Moreover, to keep the air tightness between upstream and downstreamsides of the opening plate 7, the opening plate 7 may be welded to theinner wall surface. Note that another component must be used for theopening 42 in order for the opening plate 7 to be replaceable.

A procedure for exhausting the electron gun of this embodiment and acharged-particle-beam applied apparatus is described below. Componentsfor constituting the apparatus are assembled to execute exhausting. Inthis case, to activate nonevaporative getter pumps 3 and 41, power isdistributed to the heaters 4 and 5 to heat the housing. It is possibleto greatly improve the efficiency for rough exhausting by using the heatin the above case, opening the automatically opening/closing valve, andincreasing a conductance. When activation and exhausting of thenonevaporative getter pumps are completed, power distribution to theheaters is stopped to cool the housing up to approximately roomtemperature. Because the lid 44 closes the opening 43 at approximatelyroom temperature, the conductance between the lid 44 and theelectron-gun column 10 is decided by the opening 42, and preferabledifferential exhausting is automatically realized. This embodiment canobtain a differential exhausting characteristic of a vacuum pressure of10⁻⁸ Pa in the electron-gun column 10 which is four digits higher thanthe vacuum pressure of 10⁻⁴ Pa in the electronic-optical-system column9.

The configuration described in this embodiment can greatly decrease theschematic dimensions of the whole electron gun to 15 cm in width and 15cm in height when compared to a conventional configuration. Building upthe electron gun and performing exhausting and baking achieves a vacuumpressure of 10⁻¹⁰ Torr. Moreover, applying 2 kV to the electron sourceand discharging electrons can keep a vacuum pressure of 10⁻¹⁰ Torr.Because a high vacuum pressure can be kept, a cold-cathode electronsource (CFE) or a Schottky electron source may be used instead of thethermal field emission electron source used in this embodiment.

Furthermore, as a result of applying the electron gun of this embodimentto a scanning electron microscope having the structure shown in FIG. 3,it is possible to realize a scanning electron microscope having a sizesmaller than and a maintenance period longer than the scanning electronmicroscope described for the second embodiment, because the vacuum airtightness around the electron source is preferable.

Fifth Embodiment

This embodiment describes an electron gun with a positioning mechanismthat realizes positioning more easily than that of the electron gundescribed in the fourth embodiment as follows.

FIG. 7A shows a theoretical drawing of the positioning mechanism of thisembodiment. FIG. 7B shows a block diagram when applying the positioningmechanism of this embodiment to the electron gun shown in FIG. 5together with an essential portion of the electron gun.

First, the theory of this embodiment is described by referring to FIG.7A. The positioning mechanism of this embodiment has a feature that anx-axis-directional reference plane is formed separately from ay-axis-directional reference plane. As described for the fourthembodiment, an electron source 1 is adjusted so that an electron beamtransmitted to the column 9 is maximized for positioning. However,because a small charged-particle-beam applied apparatus cannot have ahigh-accuracy positioning mechanism, a user of the apparatus mustmanually perform adjustments. For the electron gun of the fourthembodiment, all electron-beam-source positioning knobs 38 are set at thesame height. That is, positioning along the x and y axes must beperformed at the same position. However, the electron gun in thisembodiment independently has x-axis alignment device 48 and y-axisalignment device 49. Therefore, the user of the apparatus can initiallyadjust the x-directional or y-directional position and then performappropriate positioning along the y or x axis. Therefore, the load ofthe user of the apparatus is decreased when adjusting the axis of theelectron beam source.

FIG. 7B shows an important portion of the electron gun having thepositioning mechanism of this embodiment. An electron source 1 issuspended in the electron-gun column 10 by a parallel plate spring 47for holding the electron source 1 at a predetermined position in avacuum vessel. Various electric wires 50 are held in the parallel platespring. The upside of the parallel plate spring 47 is fixed to a flangehaving a feed-through and the electron source 1 is set to the lower endof the parallel plate spring 47. The electric wires 50 are insulated byinsulators and led to the upper feed-through. The nonevaporative getterpump 2 surrounds the outer periphery of the parallel plate spring 47 soas to cover it. A stress from x direction and a stress from y directionare applied to the parallel plate spring 47 due to the operation of apositioning mechanism 48 or 49. That is, a torsion stress is applied tothe parallel plate spring 47. Accordingly, it is necessary that thepositioning mechanism 48 and 49 respectively have a rigidity to atorsion. Thus, this embodiment constitutes the positioning mechanisms 48and 49 by using two pairs of lock-provided linear introduction terminalsfaced each other.

The drawing of the positioning mechanism shown in FIG. 7A shows abellows used to introduce a linear motion from the outside of theelectron gun housing. Moreover, the parallel plate spring 47 deforms bybeing distorted in x or y direction. However, the spring 47 has alarge-enough rigidity and elastic modulus in the direction orthogonal tox or y direction and is designed so as not to cause buckling or plasticdeformation. Note that fixing plates 51 and 52 for supporting theparallel plate spring 47 respectively have a high rigidity and elasticmodulus against a force applied for positioning. A structure materialother than a parallel plate spring may comprise the electron-sourceholding device as long as the material is a member not causing bucklingor plastic deformation.

The parallel plate spring 47 has flat-spring fixing plates 51 and 52forming axis-alignment reference planes in x and y directions. A pair offaced positioning mechanisms correspond to each plate and are combinedwith operation knobs 38 present at the outside of the housing of theelectron-gun column 10 through the linear motion feed through. Thereby,a structure which can be operated from the atmospheric-air side isrealized. To perform x-directional positioning, it is only necessary tooperate an x-directional driving mechanism. The mechanism is preferablebecause a temporal drift can be reduced by fastening and locking anopposite driving mechanism when an x-directional position of the formermechanism is decided. Y-directional positioning may be performedbasically the same as the case of the x-directional positioning.

By using the above structure, the electron source 1 can perform rasterscanning not interfering in x or y direction. The electron source 1 cancomprehensively efficiently move in a movable region of 1 mm×1 mm. Theelectron source 1 has a positioning feature such that an electron beamcan be efficiently emitted through the opening 42. Another feature ofthe electron source 1 is that it may be easily downsized. Therefore,preferably both features can be coexistent.

Advantageously, a positioning mechanism can be simplified by applyingthe positioning mechanism of this embodiment to an electron gun having astructure other than that of the first embodiment, as long as theelectron gun makes it possible to manually position an electron source.

Sixth Embodiment

This embodiment describes another configuration of the automaticallyopening/closing valve shown by symbol 102 in FIG. 5.

FIG. 8A is a top view of an opening plate 7 when viewed from its top,which is the same drawing as FIG. 6A. FIGS. 8B to 8 d arecross-sectional views obtained by cutting the opening plate 7 andmounting various automatically opening/closing valves along thealternate long and short dash line shown at the position A′-A in FIG.8A.

Characteristic points of the automatically opening/closing valves shownin FIGS. 8B to 8D are described below. The automatically opening/closingvalve in FIG. 8B has a configuration in which a conical piece is usedfor a lid 44. The valve has an effect of preventing displacements of ahole and the valve due to opening/closing of the lid 44 (automaticaligning). The displacement of the above valve is a phenomenon due to athermal deformation of the valve caused as a result of repeatedlyopening/closing the valve accompanying a setting error of each componentor temperature rise or fall. When the above valve displacement occurs, aproblem occurs that the adhesiveness between an opening and the valve isdeteriorated, gas enters through the gap between them, and a vacuumpressure is deteriorated. Therefore, sufficient consideration isnecessary.

The automatically opening/closing valve shown in FIG. 8C has aconfiguration in which a contact face of the lid 44 with an opening 43is formed into a sphere. The valve has an automatic aligning effect thesame as the case of the valve shown in FIG. 8B. Moreover, because it ispossible to use a general-purpose ball for the material of the lid 44,advantageously, the valve manufacturing cost may be reduced.

FIG. 8D shows a valve having a configuration in which a circularprotrusion (circular edge) 203 is formed on the contact face between thelid 44 and the opening plate 7. By forming the circular edge on the lid44, acceptable widths for displacements of a hole and the valve areincreased. The same effect can be obtained even by forming the circularedge not at the lid-44 side but at the opening plate-7 side.

Automatically opening/closing valves having the configurations describedby referring to FIGS. 8A to 8D improves the adhesiveness between theopening plate 7 and the lid 44 and therefore the vacuum air tightness inthe electron-gun column 10.

In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described withreference to specific embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evidentthat various modifications and changes may be made thereto withoutdeparting from the broader spirit and scope of the invention. Thespecification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in anillustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

1. An electron gun comprising: an electron source; a vacuum vesselholding the electron source; a getter pump attached inside the vacuumvessel; an opening configured to roughly exhaust the vacuum vessel; aheating device configured to heat the getter pump; and a decomposingdevice configured to decompose the gas produced while the electronsource operates.